The 2009 Zinfandel Cortina is beautifully balanced from start to finish. Sweet scents of pipe tobacco, dried flowers and licorice meld into an expressive core of dark fruit in this silky, sexy Zinfandel. There is an understated freshness that informs the finish, giving the wine a sense of nuance that is striking. Seghesio makes the Cortina from two sites in Dry Creek Valley. The Cortina shows better balance and more integration between its fruit and structural components than the Rockpile, which is also from Dry Creek. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. The Seghesio family planted their first Zinfandel vines in Alexander Valley in 1895, the early days of a rich heritage that continues to this day under the leadership of Ted Seghesio. Tel. (707) 433-3579

A joy to drink. It’s so ripely exuberant in fruit, explosive in wild berry, dried red currant, licorice, cocoa and dusty spice flavors that sink deep into the palate and last forever on the finish. Yet it’s dry, and the structure is entirely elegant. The two vineyards that are source to this wine are old and dry-farmed. A very great Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, a real classic. Drink now–2015.——S.H.(3/1/2012)—— 95